Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund announces latest round of grants

Partners award more than $220,000 in fourth cycle of Phase II grantmaking

Release Date: 12.22.2020

CLEVELAND – The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund coalition announced today the most recent round of biweekly grants to support the nonprofit community. In total, $220,779 was awarded to nine organizations and groups serving Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties. Since the start of Phase II in mid-November, partners have granted nearly $1.8 million.

The latest round of grant recipients includes:

  • The City Club of Cleveland ($25,000): To support the City Club’s food distribution partnership with Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, an effort that is producing 10,000 meals every week for Greater Cleveland’s homeless population
  • Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center ($25,000): To provide basic needs such as food, clothing, utility and housing assistance, as well as loaner laptops and personalized technical support for deaf clients, those with speech disorders, and their families in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties
  • Harvard Community Services Center ($35,000): To continue to serve homebound adults and families across the Lee-Harvard, Miles and Seville neighborhoods through the mobile delivery of care packages containing food and basic hygiene items
  • HOLA Ohio ($25,000): To facilitate access to medical care and unemployment assistance for the Latino and immigrant populations in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties, while also providing PPE and funds for help with basic needs including housing, bills, groceries and medicines
  • LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland ($21,779): To continue to provide food assistance, transportation, social-emotional support via tele/virtual community group meetings and programming, virtual wellness options, street outreach, and legal referrals and advocacy for the LGBTQ population in Greater Cleveland
  • Pregnant with Possibilities Resource Center ($49,000): To provide support and transportation assistance to help expectant and new mothers in Cuyahoga County access Making Opportunities Matter (M.O.M.) counseling and diaper distributions
  • Senior Transportation Connection (STC) ($15,000): To continue essential transportation operations that prioritize medical, dialysis and food access trips, while also purchasing enhanced PPE for older adults in Cuyahoga County with mobility needs and limited social supports
  • Slavic Village Development ($20,000): To provide funds for emergency housing repairs, emergency rental/mortgage assistance, food insecurities and transportation needs, PPE and health-related cleaning supplies funds to those facing housing instability or homelessness in the Broadway/Slavic Village neighborhoods
  • Ursuline Piazza ($5,000): To provide food assistance for HIV-positive residents in Cuyahoga County to help avoid food insecurity during the holiday season

Contributions to the second phase of the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund total nearly $3.5 million, including support from new funding partner Evelyn B. Newell. Funding partners urge other foundations, corporate entities, individuals and organizations to contribute to the Fund. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are tax deductible.

Based upon the charitable structure of the Rapid Response Fund, the second phase is currently accepting grant applications from eligible organizations serving Cuyahoga, Lake and/or Geauga counties. The Fund is designed primarily to support human service nonprofits with operational budgets of less than $20 million. The Fund partners encourage collaborative proposals that involve multiple organizations within similar sectors or neighborhoods working on shared issues, with a focus on basic needs, family supports, PPE, testing and contact tracing.

Grants during Phase II of the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund are awarded every two weeks and will continue for one year. Awards range in size from $5,000 to $100,000, with a maximum grant amount of $100,000 for any nonprofit organization throughout the current cycle ending Oct. 31, 2021. Organizations that were funded during Phase I (between March-July 2020) are eligible to apply for additional funding. Grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution.

For more information or to donate, visit ClevelandFoundation.org/Response.

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